Ferguson: The landscape of Canadian quarterbacks

Marshall Ferguson

CFL.ca

@TSN_Marsh

Last week was special and the crazy thing is, that it might not have been an anomaly.

When Nathan Rourke stormed back to maintain the BC Lions undefeated record in 2022 with a 34-31 road win in Ottawa, he confirmed for the third week in a row that he not only has the skill set, but the demeanor and leadership characteristics you go searching for in a quarterback regardless of passport origin.

The following night Tre Ford took centre stage not far from his hometown of Niagara Falls, Ontario and put together a respectable night with some really promising signs as the Elks defence shut down Hamilton in the second half and pushed the Elks to their first win of the year.

Both Rourke and Ford are building, growing and finding ways to improve. You can see it in real time if you watch closely, but what interests me the most is the vastly different situations they are finding early season success in.

Rourke has earned the trust and admiration of his teammates. It’s easy to see in every Lions touchdown celebration and there have been many thanks to his league leading play at the game’s most difficult position.

Ford often appears to be quietly making his way from the field to the huddle and back to the bench without much fanfare. Much like Tre’s off-field personality, he is calm and humble while going about his business.

From his days setting passing and rushing records at Waterloo, to the CFL Combine presented by New Era, being selected in the CFL Draft and now winning as a professional starting quarterback, there is a ‘matter of factness’ with which Ford operates.

Watching him escape Simoni Lawrence in the open field twice, throw a late game tying touchdown to Kenny Lawler or kneel down to end the game. You get the feeling that Ford is internally shrugging because his internal belief is constantly telling him, ‘this is what you’re supposed to be doing.’ While everyone outside his slightly untraditional 6’1 192-pound frame is thinking, ‘I can’t believe this is what he’s doing’.

While Ford makes everything look so smooth you can’t tell he’s playing fast, Rourke’s game has a bit more suddenness and visible effort, but does he ever make that effort look good when he’s locked in and seeing the field which he has been for about 103 of his 105 pass attempts through three games.

Rourke is NCAA trained and raised through the American prep school and Junior College system of America. Ford is from down the street and likely played against someone you know if you grew up in Southern Ontario.

Rourke essentially had two years to prepare for this moment after studying the playbook in a COVID cancelled 2020 season and taking the majority of practice reps as starter Michael Reilly’s dealt with injuries in his final season.

Ford was drafted two months ago into a locker room that, at the time, had eight players listed at quarterback with little guarantee he’d be more than another Chris Jones transformation project or wildcat quarterback in sparse need.

Rourke has an offensive huddle full of CFL veterans, proven commodities like Bryan Burnham and Sukh Chungh who are ready to show him the way when inevitable adversity appears as it did last Thursday in Ottawa.

Ford is part of a team whose depth chart changes more than stock market suggestions and an offensive huddle that – yes – has veteran leadership in David Beard and Manny Arceneaux, but also features ball needy receivers like Kenny Lawler, Derel Walker and an offensive line rebuilt through free agency this past winter.

Rourke was announced as starting quarterback before free agency even opened. Ford didn’t get a chance to lead the first team offence full time until entering week four.

The point being, Rourke and Ford are doing it in just about as different a way as you can imagine. When you really think about it the two main similarities in their profile are the hand they throw with and their country of origin. That’s about it.

I find it inspiring that not only do we have two Canadian quarterbacks ready to show their ability yet again starting on Thursday when Ford takes on Bo Levi Mitchell and the Calgary Stampeders, but that they can rise through the depth chart in such different ways.

For me, it gives hope that more Rourkes and Fords are on the way. With each win they tear down the theoretical restrictions and mental walls that have forbid Canadian quarterbacks for so long. The lesson here is there is not one path, be good enough and they’ll have no choice but to play you.

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